EL
SEGUNDO HIGH SCHOOL
COURSE OF STUDY
Course Title: English 10AB Honors
Department: English/Language Arts
Grade Level: 10
English 10AB Honors is for students who have developed high level language arts skills. Students will read selections from world and classical literature and will focus on literary analysis, writing, discussion and group projects requiring sophisticated critical thinking skills. Students must be prepared to spend considerable time outside of class in study and preparation.
Students will also continue to refine their skills in vocabulary and written conventions. They will participate in activities to prepare for the PSAT, a test given in their junior year. This class is designed to prepare students to continue in the English Honors program.
Length: One year
Prerequisite: Demonstrated excellence in language arts skills as evidenced by a minimum of the 76th percentile on the 9th grade STAR exam in Language Arts, a rubric score of 4 or better on Diagnostic English exam, a grade of B or better in English 9 Honors or A in English CP, and Teacher recommendation (effort grade.) The student must meet 3 of the 4 criteria.
Type of Course: Honors
COURSE OUTLINE AND STANDARDS
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE
ARTS CONTENT STANDARDS
Reading
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
Students apply their knowledge of word origins to determine the meaning of new
words encountered in reading materials and use those words accurately. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.1 Identify and use the literal and figurative meanings of words and
understand word derivations. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
1.2. Distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words and
interpret the connotative power of words. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
1.3 Identify Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology and use the
knowledge to understand the origin and meaning of new words (e.g., the word narcissistic
drawn from the myth of Narcissus and Echo). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically)
2.0 Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational
Materials)
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They analyze the
organizational patterns, arguments, and positions advanced. The selections in Recommended
Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve (1990) illustrate the quality and
complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition, by grade
twelve, students read two million words annually on their own, including a wide
variety of classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, and
online information. In grades nine and ten, students make substantial progress
toward this goal. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
Structural Features of Informational Materials
2.1 Analyze the structure and format of functional workplace documents,
including the graphics and headers, and explain how authors use the features to
achieve their purposes. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
2.2 Prepare a
bibliography of reference materials for a report using a variety of
consumer, workplace, and public documents. Comprehension and Analysis of
Grade-Level-Appropriate Text. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
2.3 Generate relevant questions about readings on issues
that can be researched. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
2.4 Synthesize the content from several sources or works by
a single author dealing with a single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect
them to other sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
2.5 Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources
through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically)
2.6 Demonstrate use of sophisticated learning tools by following technical
directions (e.g., those found with graphic calculators and specialized software
programs and in access guides to World Wide Web sites on the Internet). (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
Expository Critique
2.7 Critique the logic of functional documents by examining the sequence of
information and procedures in anticipation of possible reader
misunderstandings. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
2.8 Evaluate the credibility of an author's argument or
defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship between generalizations and
evidence, the comprehensiveness of evidence, and the way in which the author's
intent affects the structure and tone of the text (e.g., in professional
journals, editorials, political speeches, primary source material). (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of
literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social
science. They conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes. The
selections in Recommended Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve illustrate
the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Structural Features of Literature
3.1 Articulate the relationship between the expressed purposes and the
characteristics of different forms of dramatic literature (e.g., comedy,
tragedy, drama, dramatic monologue). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
3.2 Compare and contrast the presentation of a similar theme
or topic across genres to explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme
or topic. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary
text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships,
influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
3.4 Determine characters' traits by what the characters say
about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
3.5 Compare works that express a universal theme and provide
evidence to support the ideas expressed in each work(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
3.6 Analyze and trace an author's development of time and
sequence, including the use of complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing,
flashbacks). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
3.7 Recognize and understand the significance of various
literary devices, including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and
symbolism, and explain their appeal. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
3.8 Interpret and evaluate the impact of ambiguities,
subtleties, contradictions, ironies, and incongruities in a text. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
3.9 Explain how voice, persona, and the choice of a narrator
affect characterization and the tone, plot, and credibility of a text. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
3.10 Identify and describe the function of dialogue, scene
designs, soliloquies, asides, and character foils in dramatic literature. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Literary Criticism
3.11 Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction
and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of
literary criticism. (Aesthetic approach) (Integration of CORE Knowledge and Critical
Thinking)
3.12 Analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and
issues of its historical period. (Historical approach) (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Writing
1.0 Writing Strategies Students write coherent and focused essays that
convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing
demonstrates students' awareness of the audience and purpose. Students progress
through the stages of the writing process as needed. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Organization and Focus
1.1 Establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear
and distinctive perspective on the subject and maintain a consistent tone and
focus throughout the piece of writing. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
1.2 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, appropriate modifiers,
and the active rather than the passive voice. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Research and Technology
1.3 Use clear research questions and suitable research methods (e.g., library,
electronic media, personal interview) to elicit and present evidence from
primary and secondary sources. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
1.4 Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition through
supporting evidence (e.g., scenarios, commonly held beliefs, hypotheses,
definitions). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.5 Synthesize information from multiple sources and
identify complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different
perspectives found in each medium (e.g., almanacs, microfiche, news sources,
in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents). (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.6 Integrate quotations and citations into a written text
while maintaining the flow of ideas. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
1.7 Use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and
bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals (e.g., Modern Language
Association Handbook, The Chicago Manual of Style.) (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.8 Design and publish documents by using advanced
publishing software and graphic programs. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
Evaluation and Revision
1.9 Revise writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and
controlling perspective, the precision of word choice, and the tone by taking
into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition,
persuasion, and description to produce texts of at least 1,500 words each.
Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the
research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard
1.0.
Using the writing strategies of grades nine and ten outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:
2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or
short stories:
a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events
to the audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a
scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the
characters; use interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting
perspectives, and sensory details. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.2 Write responses to literature:
a. Demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary
works.
b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed
references to the text or to other works.
c. Demonstrate awareness of the author's use of stylistic devices and an
appreciation of the effects created.
d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and
complexities within the text. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.3 Write expository compositions, including analytical
essays and research reports:
a. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including
information on all relevant perspectives.
b. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately
and coherently.
c. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific
data, facts, and ideas.
d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and
record information on charts, maps, and graphs.
e. Anticipate and address readers' potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations.
f. Use technical terms and notations accurately.
(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.4 Write persuasive compositions:
a. Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained and logical fashion.
b. Use specific rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., appeal to logic
through reasoning; appeal to emotion or ethical belief; relate a personal
anecdote, case study, or analogy).
c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including
facts, expert opinions, quotations, and expressions of commonly accepted
beliefs and logical reasoning.
d. Address readers' concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.5 Write business letters:
a. Provide clear and purposeful information and address the intended audience
appropriately.
b. Use appropriate vocabulary, tone, and style to take into account the nature
of the relationship with, and the knowledge and interests of, the recipients.
c. Highlight central ideas or images.
d. Follow a conventional style with page formats, fonts, and spacing that
contribute to the documents' readability and impact. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.6 Write technical documents (e.g., a manual on rules of
behavior for conflict resolution, procedures for conducting a meeting, minutes
of a meeting):
a. Report information and convey ideas logically and correctly.
b. Offer detailed and accurate specifications.
c. Include scenarios, definitions, and examples to aid comprehension (e.g.,
troubleshooting guide).
d. Anticipate readers' problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings.
(Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
The standards for written and oral English language conventions have been
placed between those for writing and for listening and speaking because these
conventions are essential to both sets of skills.
1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions
Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions.
Grammar and Mechanics of Writing
1.1 Identify and correctly use clauses (e.g., main and subordinate), phrases
(e.g., gerund, infinitive, and participial), and mechanics of punctuation
(e.g., semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.2 Understand sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination,
proper placement of modifiers) and proper English usage (e.g., consistency of
verb tenses). (Integrate CORE Knowledge)
1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of
grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Manuscript Form
1.4 Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the
conventions of punctuation and capitalization. (Integrate CORE Knowledge)
1.5 Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements, including title page
presentation, pagination, spacing and margins, and integration of source and
support material (e.g., in-text citation, use of direct quotations,
paraphrasing) with appropriate citations. (Integrate CORE Knowledge)
Listening and Speaking
1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies
Students formulate adroit judgments about oral communication. They deliver
focused and coherent presentations of their own that convey clear and distinct
perspectives and solid reasoning. They use gestures, tone, and vocabulary
tailored to the audience and purpose. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
Comprehension
1.1 Formulate judgments about the ideas under discussion and support those
judgments with convincing evidence. (Critical Thinking)
1.2 Compare and contrast the ways in which media genres (e.g., televised news,
news magazines, documentaries, online information) cover the same event. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
1.3 Choose logical patterns of organization (e.g., chronological, topical,
cause and effect) to inform and to persuade, by soliciting agreement or action,
or to unite audiences behind a common belief or cause. (Integrate CORE Knowledge,
Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.4 Choose appropriate techniques for developing the
introduction and conclusion (e.g., by using literary quotations, anecdotes,
references to authoritative sources). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
1.5 Recognize and use elements of classical speech forms
(e.g., introduction, first and second transitions, body, conclusion) in
formulating rational arguments and applying the art of persuasion and debate. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.6 Present and advance a clear thesis statement and choose appropriate types
of proof (e.g., statistics, testimony, specific instances) that meet standard
tests for evidence, including credibility, validity, and relevance. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.7 Use props, visual aids, graphs, and electronic media to
enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.8 Produce concise notes for extemporaneous delivery. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.9 Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience and choose effective
verbal and nonverbal techniques (e.g., voice, gestures, eye contact) for
presentations. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications
1.10 Analyze historically significant speeches (e.g., Abraham Lincoln's
"Gettysburg Address," Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a
Dream") to find the rhetorical devices and features that make them
memorable. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
1.11 Assess how language and delivery affect the mood and
tone of the oral communication and make an impact on the audience. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
1.12 Evaluate the clarity, quality, effectiveness, and
general coherence of a speaker's important points, arguments, evidence,
organization of ideas, delivery, diction, and syntax. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically)
1.13 Analyze the types of arguments used by the speaker,
including argument by causation, analogy, authority, emotion, and logic. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically)
1.14 Identify the aesthetic effects of a media presentation
and evaluate the techniques used to create them (e.g., compare Shakespeare's Henry
V with Kenneth Branagh's 1990 film version). (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically)
2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their
Characteristics)
Students deliver polished formal and extemporaneous presentations that combine
the traditional rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and
description. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American
English and the organizational and delivery strategies outlined in Listening
and Speaking Standard 1.0. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
Using the speaking strategies of grades nine and ten outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0, students:
2.1. Deliver narrative presentations:
a. Narrate a sequence of events and communicate their significance to the
audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a
scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of
characters.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate time or mood changes. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.2 Deliver expository presentations:
a. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including
information on all relevant perspectives.
b. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately
and coherently.
c. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific
data, facts, and ideas.
d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and
display information on charts, maps, and graphs.
e. Anticipate and address the listener's potential misunderstandings, biases,
and expectations.
f. Use technical terms and notations accurately.
(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.3 Apply appropriate interviewing techniques:
a. Prepare and ask relevant questions.
b. Make notes of responses.
c. Use language that conveys maturity, sensitivity, and respect.
d. Respond correctly and effectively to questions.
e. Demonstrate knowledge of the subject or organization.
f. Compile and report responses.
g. Evaluate the effectiveness of the interview.
(Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.4 Deliver oral responses to literature:
a. Advance a judgment demonstrating a comprehensive grasp of the significant
ideas of works or passages (i.e., make and support warranted assertions about
the text).
b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed
references to the text or to other works.
c. Demonstrate awareness of the author's use of stylistic devices and an
appreciation of the effects created.
d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and
complexities within the text. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think Critically,
Communicate Effectively)
2.5 Deliver persuasive arguments (including evaluation and analysis of problems
and solutions and causes and effects):
a. Structure ideas and arguments in a coherent, logical fashion.
b. Use rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., by appeal to logic
through reasoning; by appeal to emotion or ethical belief; by use of personal
anecdote, case study, or analogy).
c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including
facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs,
and logical reasoning.
d. Anticipate and address the listener's concerns and counterarguments. (Integrate
CORE Knowledge, Think Critically, Communicate Effectively)
2.6 Deliver descriptive presentations:
a. Establish clearly the speaker's point of view on the subject of the
presentation.
b. Establish clearly the speaker's relationship with that subject (e.g.,
dispassionate observation, personal involvement).
c. Use effective, factual descriptions of appearance, concrete images, shifting
perspectives and vantage points, and sensory details. (Integrate CORE Knowledge, Think
Critically, Communicate Effectively)
A. Lecture/Direct Instruction
B. Socratic Question/Answer
C. Guided Practice
D. Class work and Homework
E. Individual Work
F. Short and Long Term Projects
G. Group Work
EVALUATION/GRADING OF STUDENT WORK
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Night by Elie Weisel
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Animal Farm by George Orwell
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Aleksandr Solzhenitzen
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
The Odyssey by Homer
Antigone by Sophocles
Medea by Euripedes
House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
The Joke by Milan Kundera
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns